Mr. Nagisa Oshima, the filmmaker who, perhaps more than any other, challenged the conventional morality and sober certainties of Japan, died of pneumonia Tuesday at the age of 80. His films earned respect around the world and broke restraints on what could be shown ...

Tadao Sato laughed an embarrassed laugh as he recalled that three years ago, in London, he had been referred to as a “legend.” Though adding to his discomfort, I had to admit that in my university days I had thought of him in the ...